Soil Quality
Fact Sheets - Phosphorus
Summary
Many soils in Australia and particularly Western Australia are ancient and highly weathered with very low levels of natural phosphorus. As a result, these soils were amongst the most acutely phosphorus deficient found anywhere in the world when cleared for agriculture. Profitable crop production on most wheat-belt soils of Western Australia has only been possible by applying significant quantities of phosphorous fertilisers. More recently it has also been a requirement especially on sandy soils in high rainfall areas that detrimental impacts of fertiliser both on-site and off-site must be minimised if utilisation of the soil resource is to be sustainable. This will only be achieved if fertiliser input is matched to crop and pasture demands.
Related Soil Tests
- Colwell Phosphorus
